Effects of electron heating and surface rippling on Rayleigh–Taylor instability in radiation pressure acceleration

X. Z. Wu; Y. R. Shou; Z. B. Guo; H. G. Lu; J. X. Liu; D. Wu; Z. Gong; X. Q. Yan

doi:10.1063/5.0130513

Volume 8 Issue 3

May 2023

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Article Navigation > Matter and Radiation at Extremes > 2023 > 8(3): 036902

X. Z. Wu, Y. R. Shou, Z. B. Guo, H. G. Lu, J. X. Liu, D. Wu, Z. Gong, X. Q. Yan. Effects of electron heating and surface rippling on Rayleigh–Taylor instability in radiation pressure acceleration[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2023, 8(3): 036902. doi: 10.1063/5.0130513

Citation:

X. Z. Wu, Y. R. Shou, Z. B. Guo, H. G. Lu, J. X. Liu, D. Wu, Z. Gong, X. Q. Yan. Effects of electron heating and surface rippling on Rayleigh–Taylor instability in radiation pressure acceleration[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2023, 8(3): 036902. doi: 10.1063/5.0130513

Citation:

X. Z. Wu, Y. R. Shou, Z. B. Guo, H. G. Lu, J. X. Liu, D. Wu, Z. Gong, X. Q. Yan. Effects of electron heating and surface rippling on Rayleigh–Taylor instability in radiation pressure acceleration[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2023, 8(3): 036902. doi: 10.1063/5.0130513

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Effects of electron heating and surface rippling on Rayleigh–Taylor instability in radiation pressure acceleration

doi: 10.1063/5.0130513

X. Z. Wu^{1, 2
,
,},
Y. R. Shou^{2
,
,
,},
Z. B. Guo^{1
,
,
,},
H. G. Lu¹,
J. X. Liu¹,
D. Wu^1
,,
Z. Gong^3
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X. Q. Yan^{1, 4
,
,}

1.
State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
2.
Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
3.
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, Heidelberg 69117, Germany
4.
Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Shanxi 030006, China

More Information

Corresponding author: a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: shou@ibs.re.kr; zbguo@pku.edu.cn; and x.yan@pku.edu.cn
Received Date: 2022-10-12
Accepted Date: 2023-03-21

Available Online: 2023-05-01

Publish Date: 2023-05-01

Abstract

Abstract

The acceleration of ultrathin targets driven by intense laser pulses induces Rayleigh–Taylor-like instability. Apart from laser and target configurations, we find that electron heating and surface rippling, effects inherent to the interaction process, have an important role in instability evolution and growth. By employing a simple analytical model and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we show that the onset of electron heating in the early stage of the acceleration suppresses the growth of small-scale modes, but it has little influence on the growth of large-scale modes, which thus become dominant. With the growth of surface ripples, a mechanism that can significantly influence the growth of these large-scale modes is found. The laser field modulation caused by surface rippling generates an oscillatory ponderomotive force, directly modulating transverse electron density at a faster growth rate than that of ions and eventually enhancing instability growth. Our results show that when surface deformation becomes obvious, electron surface oscillation at 2ω₀ (where ω₀ is the laser frequency) is excited simultaneously, which can be seen as a signature of this mechanism.

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References(45)

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